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  • Lions Roundtable: How Free Agency Impacts Draft Plans​ - Below 
  • ​Tyler Reddick wins NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA Below
  • Roy J. Akers Thoughts on the NFL (Below)
  • Eli Tomac wins Seattle Supercross, ties Cooper Webb in championship points (Motorsports)
  • NFL Why Daniel Jeremiah thinks DE Myles Murphy & QB Anthony Richardson are good fits for Lions (Below)Indy Car trying a new promotion during the 2023 season (Below)​​
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Tyler Reddick wins NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA

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NASCAR TALK | NBC SPORTS Select DriverSubscribe:     Tyler Reddick wins NASCAR Cup Series race at COTABy Mike HembreeMar 26, 2023, 7:39 PM EDT
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1 CommentTyler Reddick passed William Byron for the lead with four laps from the scheduled end and held on through three overtimes to win Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas.
Shortly after Reddick took the lead, the field was slowed under caution as debris flew from Austin Dillon‘s car. The field was stacked again as the race was pushed into overtime, giving challengers another shot at Reddick.
Reddick outran the rest of the field through the dangerous first turn and built a one-second lead before another caution for the damaged cars of Ryan Blaney and Ryan Preece bunched the field again.
MORE: COTA Cup results, driver pointsMORE: What drivers said at COTAThe third caution in a row appeared when Martin Truex Jr. and Daniel Suarez crashed in the first turn, eliminating Reddick’s lead once more.
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Ad Again, Reddick shot away from the rest of the field on the restart and held the lead through another green-white-checkered to take the win, his third career road course victory. Following at the finish were Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain and Byron.
The win was Reddick’s first of the season and also the first this year for Toyota and 23XI Racing. His car was a rocket much of the day, allowing him to pit one more time than most of the other contenders and still race out front.
“(The win) means the world,” Reddick told Fox Sports. “This whole 23XI team has been working so hard all winter long to make the road course program better. Was extremely motivated to come in here and prove that performance, too.”
Reddick and Byron were the race kingpins most of the day. Reddick led 41 laps and Byron 28. No one else led more than two.
Reddick, 27, held the lead with 12 laps remaining when Brad Keselowski‘s Ford stalled, bringing out a caution, bunching the field and changing the dynamic of the finish.
During the caution period, Christopher Bell, Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kimi Raikkonen and Preece stayed on track to inherit the starting spots at the front. Reddick dropped out of the lead to pit for tires and fuel. Chastain, who had been running third, was delayed in the pits by a slow right-front tire change.
On the restart, the field crowded into Turn 1, and Reddick burst into the lead as several cars, including Chastain, spun, causing another caution. Suarez, Chastain, Byron and Bowman trailed Reddick before they all rolled into the pits.
Reddick breezed to a win in Stage 2. He was seven seconds in front of Austin Dillon at stage end.
Byron won the first stage, leading eight laps to five by Reddick.
Jenson Button had the best day of the road-course “ringers” in the field, finishing 18th. Jordan Taylor, substituting for the injured Chase Elliott, was 24th, and Kimi Raikkonen was 29th.
Stage 1 winner: William Byron
Stage 2 winner: Tyler Reddick
Who had a good race: Winner Tyler Reddick and William Byron fought for the lead much of the afternoon. They split the first two stage wins. … Ross Chastain, who scored the first win of his Cup career in this race last year, raced into the top five in the final miles. … Kyle Busch had another solid run for Richard Childress Racing, finishing second.
Who had a bad race: Former champion Jimmie Johnson, making a rare Cup start, had a short day. He was one of five drivers involved in a crash on Lap 1, and he parked his Chevrolet for the day. … Bubba Wallace‘s car was damaged in a Lap 11 accident that also involved Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. He did not return to the race. … AJ Allmendinger finished 34th after being involved in an accident.
Next: The Cup tour rolls on to Richmond Raceway for an April 2 race (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1).
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Lions' Jameson Williams isn't 'remotely close to where he's going to go'

Story by Will Burchfield 
Jameson Williams caught one pass in his first season with the Lions: a 41-yard touchdown. He caught another for a 66-yard touchdown that was wiped out by a penalty on the offensive line. And he turned one rush into a 40-yard gain. When the Lions got the ball in his hands, Williams looked every bit like the big-play receiver they drafted 12th overall.
"A little bit of what you saw, I don’t think that’s really anywhere close to where this kid’s going to go," GM Brad Holmes said Tuesday. "I mean, he made some big plays and had some flashes, but the other thing about Jameson, he’s just a football player, man. ... That dude just wants to be out there on the field."
Williams didn't get on the field for the Lions until Week 13 after tearing his ACL in the national championship last season at Alabama. When he did, his speed made him hard to miss -- and maybe even harder to spot. Williams moves in a blur. He runs as if powered by a jetpack, faster and more fluid than the players around him. At top gear, his legs are on fast-forward and his feet almost float.
After his first NFL catch went for a touchdown against the Vikings, Williams said he wasn't surprised: he's eyeing the end zone on every play. He was smiling when he ripped down the Bears' sideline after taking a reverse in Week 17, the rush of outracing defenders. And when he turned the corner and left the Packers defense in the dust in the season finale, Williams looked like a cheat code. The NFC North is just getting to know him.
So is Jared Goff.
"He’s a special talent," Goff said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "I kind of laugh about it, the times we were able to get the ball in his hands, it’s pretty funny, he scored on two of them and had a nice reverse for about 45 yards. So how often can we get the ball in his hands will be a key for us. He’s a tremendous player and a guy that we all believe in. The sky’s the limit for him."
Williams didn't get many practice reps with Goff before his debut. This was part of the reason they were slightly out of sync as the Lions tried to work the rookie into the offense down the stretch. Goff has said that Williams is unlike any receiver he's ever thrown to, almost like a snake "in the way he kind of slithers down the field." That took some time for the quarterback to get used to. Their adjustment period should be over by next season, especially with the benefit of an offseason program and training camp.
"I'm excited to get in OTA’s with him, get some time on the field with him and really get to know each other more on the field," said Goff. "And excited to continue to play with him. He’s a hell of a player."
Williams is not just a deep threat, though he can certainly stretch a defense. He's dangerous wherever he gets the ball in stride. Goff threw just behind him on a slant against the Bears that Williams might have taken to the house had the pass arrived on time. Williams also could have done a better job adjusting to the throw, which ricocheted off his hands. These are the miscues they should eliminate next season. For Williams, the next several months will be key.
"He’s going to have to put the work in this offseason, he’s going to have to be dedicated in his approach," said Holmes. "We can provide all the resources and lay it all out, but he’s going to have to take the accountability and do it on his own. But I’ve got a lot of faith and confidence in Jameson. And obviously because we traded up and made the move for him, we all have the same belief."
This season was a test drive for Williams and the Lions. There was no rushing him out of the garage. He ran 37 routes and saw nine targets over six games, and revved his engine for the NFC North. Most importantly, he got his knee back to 100 percent. He'll enter next season as a focal point of Detroit's offense, ready to step on the pedal in the motor city.
"I don’t think anything he did this year is anywhere remotely close to where he’s going to go," said Holmes.

Georgia dominates TCU in college football championship game to complete repeat national title

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Story by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY • 

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Georgia beat TCU 65-7 in the College Football Playoff championship game to secure the program's first unbeaten season since 1980 and a place in history as back-to-back national champions.

By taking care of the Horned Frogs as roughly two-touchdown favorites, the Bulldogs arguably replace Alabama as the dominant figure in the Bowl Subdivision. And in becoming the first program in the playoff era to claim two championships in a row, Georgia establishes a dynasty that shows no sign of slowing under coach Kirby Smart.

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) kisses the trophy after winning the CFP national championship game against the TCU Horned Frogs at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports© Mark J. Rebilas, Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsThe first team in playoff history to score 17 points in the first quarter and ahead 38-7 at halftime, the Bulldogs' edge in speed and depth were on display from the game's first snaps. Georgia had 354 yards of offense in the first half, scored points on its first six possessions and didn't punt until the third quarter.
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After watching Michigan try and fail to run right at the TCU defense in the Fiesta Bowl, the offense went sideline to sideline and opened things up for quarterback Stetson Bennett, who completed 18 of 25 attempts for 304 yards and four touchdowns and was named the MVP in the final game of his college career.
Torched by LSU in the SEC championship game and Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, the Bulldogs' defense bottled up Max Duggan and Horned Frogs, allowing just 188 yards on 3.7 yards per play with three takeaways.
This was a complete performance to cap a memorable season. Here are three observations from the Bulldogs' win:
Georgia books a place in college football historyThe list of programs with back-to-back unshared national championships since 1957 has a new member: Nebraska in 1994-95, Alabama in 2011-12 and now Georgia in 2021-22.
And unlike those Cornhuskers and Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs did so under the playoff format, requiring wins against two of the best teams in the country in just over a one-week span.
This burgeoning dynasty may not have an expiration date. This year's group answered questions about Georgia's staying power after seamlessly replacing a long list of starters from last year's team, including many of the top contributors on the defensive side.
The third team in the playoff era to go 15-0, Georgia won just two games by single digits — Missouri (26-22) on Oct. 1 and Ohio State (42-41) — and beat five ranked teams, beginning with a 49-3 destruction of the Oregon in the opener that set the tone for a dominant regular season.
Even if not seen as the best individual team under the playoff format, a designation given to 2019 LSU or 2020 Alabama, what the Bulldogs have done across the past two seasons cannot be ignored or overstated.
Next year’s team will likely open the year at No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and be the preseason favorite to return to this stage and win the national championship. This is history in the making, and Georgia isn't going anywhere.
Offense leads the way and shows that this Georgia team could do it allNearly everything went right for the Georgia offense.
Bennett was kept clean in the pocket. TCU failed to manage a tackle for loss or sack. He was a weapon in the running game, adding 39 yards and two scores on 13 yards per carry. The ground attack as a whole imposed its on will on the Frogs, racking up 254 yards on 5.8 yards per carry. 
The offense continued to lean on a wealth of skill players. Eight players ran for at least 14 yards, led by Kenny McIntosh's 50 yards on eight carries, and nine players made at least one reception, topped by tight end Brock Bowers' seven grabs for 152 yards.
That continued a season-long trend of relying on multiple contributors at running back and wide receiver to take full advantage of Georgia's overwhelming collection of talent.
Georgia's defense was outstanding during the regular season, allowing just 11.3 points per game during the 12-0 start and ranking near the top of the FBS in yards allowed per game and per play. But on this stage, the Bulldogs' offense did much of the heavy lifting against two of the best teams in the FBS.
TCU won't soon be forgottenThe TK-point loss ends one of the magical runs in FBS history: TCU was picked to finish seventh in the preseason Big 12 poll but came with a win of the championship, in a rags-to-riches run that put the program on the national map.
Just getting to this point breathed life into what had become a predictable playoff race owned by the same power programs from the ACC, SEC and Big Ten. The Frogs' season brings credibility to the Big 12 and shows the transformative power of the transfer portal — after winning just five games in 2021, TCU added immediate-impact contributors and remade the roster in a single offseason under new coach Sonny Dykes.
The Frogs' Cinderella story ended with a thud against Georgia, displaying the huge distance separating teams that can compete for the title, such as TCU, and those elite few with the talent, coaching and development to win the whole thing.
But the legacy will last well beyond Monday night. TCU proved that there's room for an outsider to crash the playoff party. The Frogs showed how being unique on offense and defense — with the Air Raid on one side and an unpredictable 3-3-5 base set on the other — can help overcome gaps in depth and experience.
Most of all, TCU will allow other Power Five teams to dream big. The Frogs went from 5-7 to the doorstep of the national title. If they can do it, so can others.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett kisses the trophy after winning the CFP national championship game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia dominates TCU in college football championship game to complete repeat national title
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ON ICE: PGA GOLFERS VS. RED WINGS Michigan PGA, Detroit Red Wings Alumni 

 DETROIT – The golfers of the Michigan Section PGA, with the help of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association (DRWAA), plan to demonstrate golfers can play hockey and help armed service veterans in the process when they present the Michigan PGA Red Wings Alumni Game on Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Belfor Training Center at Little Caesars Arena.
  The goal of the Michigan PGA and Red Wing Alumni partnership is to raise funds for a trio of veterans service organizations that help Michigan veterans – PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere), the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program and Folds of Honor.
  The 3 p.m. game with two 30-minute run-time periods will feature a team of Michigan PGA golfer/hockey players taking on the Red Wings Alumni.  Scheduled to appear:  Mickey Redmond, Dino Ciccarelli, Larry Murphy, Darren McCarty, Joe Kocur, Todd Bertuzzi, John Ogrodnick, Ed Mio and Derian Hatcher.
  Vladimir “Vlady” Konstantinov, part of the famous Russian Five that helped the Red Wings win the 1997 Stanley Cup, will be dropping the puck in the ceremonial start to the game.
  The PGA players and their coaches are raising a minimum of $500 each for the veteran’s groups with a goal of raising over $50,000.  Sponsorship opportunities for the event are available to purchase. Spectator tickets are not being sold due to limited seating and parking. Learn more at michiganpga.com.
  George Bowman, the PGA Head Golf Professional at Oakhurst Golf & Country Club in Clarkston, is also the secretary for the DRWAA and is leading the partnership effort for the game.
  “Hockey players want to be golfers and this game will show you that some golf professionals made a successful transition from hockey to golf while helping veterans all at the same time,” Bowman said. “I know I transitioned to golf because golf courses/equipment smell better.”
   Bowman will play with the PGA professionals, which will have a team that also includes former NHL player Dean Kolstad, the current president of the Michigan PGA Section and Director of Golf at Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort near Kalamazoo.
  John Lindert, the current President of the PGA of America and the PGA Director of Golf at Country Club of Lansing, will serve as a coach for the Michigan PGA team. Several members of the Michigan PGA squad have collegiate, club, and even professional hockey experience like Brandon Scero of Salem Hills Golf Club and Matt Morin of Orchard Lake Country Club.
  “The Red Wings are the stars on ice and they do it for fun and to help groups raise money for charitable causes,” Bowman said. “The PGA players are the ones raising the money in this effort and getting to do something they still love – playing hockey.”

GM Brad Holmes earns rave reviews for Lions' turnaround

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Story by Michael Gallagher,
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While it’s no surprise that Philadelphia’s Howie Roseman and San Francisco’s John Lynch are presumed front-runners for NFL General Manager of the Year, the job Brad Holmes has done with the Detroit Lions shouldn’t be overlooked.

Lions GM Brad Holmes.© Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORKIn a recent column for The Athletic, national NFL writer Mike Jones named Holmes as one of six GMs whose stock is on the rise.
“He flipped Matthew Stafford in 2021 for Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third, and now Goff (top 10 in passing) looks like he could be more than just a short-term bridge,” Jones said. “Meanwhile, smart draft selections are paying off. Rookies Aidan Hutchinson, Malcolm Rodriguez, James Houston and Kerby Joseph are making key contributions, as are picks from last year’s draft. Holmes acquired more draft capital by trading tight end T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota. As the young talent has rounded into form, the Lions have scratched and clawed their way back from 1-6 to force their way into the wild card race at 7-8."
With two solid draft classes and some crafty free-agent signings, Holmes’ roster construction is already bearing fruit.
Jared Goff, Dan Campbell confident Lions can win out and finish regular season strong

Detroit jumped from the No. 22 total offense in 2021 to the No. 4 offense this season while seeing a scoring bump of seven points per game and transforming the Lions from a three-win team to a seven-win team.
The Lions are primed for a strong offseason in 2023 with four selections in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, including two first-round picks — one of which could potentially be in the top 10 — and approximately $28.6 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.
Story by Will Burchfield 
In the words of Scott Harris, the Tigers' "main priority this offseason is to reshape our offensive identity."

Tigers trade Jimenez to Braves for a bat they couldn't 'pass up on'© Provided by WXYT Radio Detroit"And this," said Harris after making some last-minute noise at the Winter Meetings, "is a step in that direction."
After a quiet week in San Diego, the Tigers traded reliever Joe Jimenez to the Braves Wednesday night for third baseman/outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy and left-handed reliever Jake Higginbotham. Malloy is the prize of the return, the top position player prospect in the Braves organization, per Baseball America, and an attractive 22-year-old hitter who could be in Detroit by next season.
"I certainly wouldn't rule it out," Harris said.
Drafted out of Georgia Tech in 2021, Malloy jumped from High-A to Triple-A last season on the strength of his bat. He hit .289 with an .862 OPS in 133 games and led all Braves minor leaguers in on-base percentage and walks. From the moment he arrived as president of baseball operations in September, Harris has emphasized the need for the Tigers to "control the strike zone."
Malloy can help them do that.
"He embodies a lot of the things that we really value in hitters," Harris said shortly after completing the trade. "He controls the strike zone, he has plus bat-to-ball skills, he does damage to all fields and he raked at three different levels this year, plus the Arizona Fall League. Adding him to our collection of position players in the upper levels makes me really excited about future."
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Erik Jones has shown the King he can compete at the track that is too tough to tame

It was a race too late for Erik Jones.
 
     Jones has run well this year in NASCAR for the Richard Petty Enterprises team. Race 27 is the first race of the NASCAR playoffs. A win anywhere in the first 26, and Jones would have made the playoffs and his Darlington win would have locked up advancement to the second round of the NASCAR playoffs.
 
  With the 16 driver NASCAR playoffs set after Daytona, Jones was running for 2023 and to impress a variety of people. First, Richard Petty himself. After being dumped by Joe Gibbs in 2020 and seeing his replacement Christopher Bell have immediate success, Jones was teetering on the fence between Dead Man Walking and finding success for the most iconic driver in NASCAR history. Richard Petty, the driver, arguably, the GOAT. Richard Petty, the owner, not so much.
 
That’s where Jones found himself in 2021. He had a handful of top finishes (six top tens and nine total laps led) and it appeared he would have his contract renewed. Still, it was late into silly season before Jones was brought back in 2022.
 
The 2022 season for Jones was successful before Darlington. He had 11- top tens this season, but still, Jones contract for 2023 was not settled until just before the August race at Michigan. Jones has the talent, but the Petty GMS Motorsports organization has not won since 2014. It appeared the teetering fence of cat and mouse between Petty and Jones would continue, but Richard Petty, (a three- time winner at Darlington found a super match with Jones. Jones runs well at Darlington. His two wins after the Labor Day race, four top five's in the last eight times he has run at Darlington.
 
Back in the day, Bobby Unser from Indy Car fame used to always talk about racing luck. Heck, it's true. For every race a driver wins by being in a dominating car, the other half of the races are won by fuel milage, wreck survival and winning with a driver/crew manager strategy that pays off in the end. For Jones, he ran well all night and watched the engines of Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch expire and then showed his racing chops out dueling Denny Hamlin. There is nothing wrong with that.
 
For Jones, this win was right on time. He has always believed it, now Richard Petty needs to extend his contract beyond 2023 before Jones looks elsewhere. 

Are the Rockets still flaring for Rocket Mortgage Classic?

The Rocket Mortgage is a well-run tournament. 
They think of about everything. A nice souvenir tent by the main gate. Sure. 
A 3-1-3 celebrity tournament that is as good as any on the PGA Tour. 
The John Shippen Tournament largely reaches African American golfers both male and female who have game with exceptions into LPGA events and this event. The Wifi initiative is also a great touch. 
So, where is everyone? 
The weather was perfect. The volunteers are great. The golf was terrific. 

   Where the rubber meets the road is the PGA Tour has a big problem. About 15 of the world's top 50 have went to the LIV, and many of those players have played in one of the first three editions of this tournament and do many do drive ticket sales. In 2019, Bryson DeChambeau won the second Rocket tournament. But many are gone. Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Luis Oosthuisen, Phil Mickelson, DeChambeau and several more who have played in at least one event, are no longer playing or are banned by orders of the commissioner. 
Now, Warwick Hills and the old Buick Open, drew huge crowds. They also did not have deluded fields. They also had Tiger Woods show up most years. Heck, Tiger won the event four times.

For me, it was noticeable that there were far less people at this event than the first event in 2018. The tournament staff is selling tickets all year long. Detroit, it's time to step up. This is one event that plenty of cities would like to have. Just ask the Washington D.C. area. The Rocket Mortgage organizers sponsored this tournament in D.C. in 2017 with the intent of bringing the event here. Just saying. 
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A totally unfiltered opinion by
Roy J. Akers

NFL thoughts for the week...
  • Jamal Williams throws shade at the Detroit Lions after signing with the New Orleans Saints. 
“The offer they gave me, I feel like was very just disrespectful and just showing they really didn’t want me to really be there,” Jamaal Williams said at his Saints press conference.
So, if the Lions offered Williams the same deal of 3 years for 18 million and Williams turned it down, that is on him. Word is, Williams agent told Detroit that they would shop their offer and get back to them. In the meantime, Detroit signed David Montgomery for the same deal while Williams agent found a deal from New Orleans for 3 years, and 12 million. It sounds like Williams has sour grapes. He should fire his agent, not take it out on Detroit for taking a deal for less money from a team that wanted him and made him a strong market offer. Let me ask this. If you had a girlfriend and she heard your plans for a romantic evening this weekend and she told you she would shop for better offers for this Saturday night, would you tell her to beat it? Yep.
  • It looks like four quarterbacks will go in the top six of the NFL draft. It happens most years. In the league, if you do not have a QB, your season is over before it starts. Whether Carolina takes CJ Stroud or Bryce Young or Anthony Richardson, Houston will also take a QB at two. Indy will take a QB at four and word is Seattle might take Levis or Richardson at five to groom in the event that Geno Smith takes a tumble. Smith had a career year, but he is due for a tumble and most teams want a guy on a rookie deal. 
  • Baltimore Ravens disgruntled QB Lamar Jackson told Pro Football Talk that he doesn't need a fully guaranteed contract, but wants one with a floor guarantee of 200 million dollars and presumably not a penny less. Its a lot to ask for when his game is geared to his running game and not dishing the ball. Jackson is 45-16 as a Ravens starter but the Ravens will NOT pay him what Jackson wants. What Jackson better realize is outside of the Jets, Rams (if they move Stafford) or Colts have yet to commit to a QB outside of the draft. Lamar Jackson might have to eat a RAVEN if he is going to play in 2023. Stay tuned. 

Michigan PGA, Detroit Red Wings Faceoff, Raise $60,000 for Veterans

Darren McCarty talks raising money and playing golf

MLB expansion talks are heating up yet again

By Rob Rogacki@BYBRob   

If I have to think about this goober while writing this article then you should too. 
Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty ImagesIt’s one of those discussion points that just won’t go away. Major League Baseball is, once again, talking about expansion. Specifically, Jim Bowden of The Athletic brought up a recent conversation with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on that topic, then dove into a proposal for how the leagues and divisions would realign to fit the two new franchises.
...we’ll get to those in a bit.
Expansion itself has been on baseball’s mind for time immemorial, and is not exclusively a Manfred creation. MLB added two new teams under former commissioner Bud Selig, and two more just before he took the job, bringing us to the current total of 30 franchises. There have been consistent talks since then of adding two more clubs, something we have covered multiple times here over the years.
Rather than debating the merits of expansion — it’s coming at some point, whether we like it or not — I’d like to get into Bowden’s proposed league realignment.
Yeah.
Before we tear into this, I want to point out a couple of positives. I like how the East division sets up, giving the Mets and Phillies — two large market clubs who have spent big in recent memory — against the Yankees and Red Sox, rather than throwing the Orioles and Blue Jays into annual baseball thunderdome. And as a casual observer, I like the idea of putting the White Sox and Cubs in the same division. However, the locals strongly disagree.


This alignment assumes that Portland would be granted an expansion team, but I have a hard time seeing MLB putting two more teams in the Eastern time zone, as Bowden suggests. Nashville, Charlotte, Orlando, and Montreal are all cities in consideration, and I think you could easily slot any of the first three into that South division. If Montreal is granted a franchise, swapping them into the NL East for the Nationals seems like the way to go.
Out west, Portland seems like a natural fit. It gives Major League Baseball another team on the west coast, and they will form an instant rivalry with the Seattle Mariners — not to mention slightly ease Seattle’s long-standing travel disadvantage. This alignment doesn’t work quite as well if Las Vegas is the choice for an expansion site, but I think Vegas would still fit into that AL West alignment better than shifting anything around in the National League.
While there are drawbacks to any realignment proposal, I think the one suggested above is an easier sell than the massive changes Bowden created. It maintains many long-standing rivalries that I think are essential to the current schedule, including Cubs-Cardinals, Dodgers-Giants, and the mutual dislike across all four teams in the NL East. I like how that Mountain division shapes up — Kansas City is, in fact, closer to all three of those clubs than they are to both Detroit and Cleveland — and I hope that putting the Florida clubs together generates a bit more excitement for baseball in the sunshine state. The Reds aren’t the best fit in that NL South division, and one could argue that the Braves make more sense there (which would slide the Pirates to the East, giving them an in-state connection with the Phillies).
There are plenty of ways to go with this, so I’ll turn it over to you, dear reader. What do you think of these realignment proposals? Are Bowden’s sweeping changes best for baseball? Or should we look to maintain as much continuity as possible?

Lions Roundtable: How Free Agency Impacts Draft Plans

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Story by Vito Chirco • Yesterday 4:08 AM

How the Detroit Lions draft plans were impacted by free agency.
1.) Are you surprised DJ Chark only signed for $5 million with the Panthers?
Christian Booher: I am. It's puzzling, because I feel that his performance could've commanded more on the free-agency market. However, the market was down for wideouts, so it's not the most surprising news. 
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Chark was productive when healthy for Detroit, but those health issues likely led to his price being lowered. The Lions have to feel good about what they already have in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, so they were likely okay with letting him go and spending that cap space on other needs. 
Vito Chirco: I am a bit surprised, because Chark did provide some solid production for the Lions down the stretch of the season after he developed a rapport with starting signal-caller Jared Goff.
However, there is also the fact that Chark has played in a total of just 15 games the past two seasons. That definitely played a factor in bringing down his market value.
Still, at the end of the day, signing the veteran wideout to a one-year, $5 million deal is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Panthers. 
2.) Who should replace Chark on the Lions' roster?
Booher: I think the obvious answer is Jameson Williams. He's got the potential to be a standout in Detroit's offense, having the speed of Tyreek Hill and the size of a prototypical "X" receiver.
However, Detroit could benefit from adding another wideout. Whether it's through free agency or the draft, the Lions could help their offense by bringing in another player at the position. In free agency, former Lions wideout Marvin Jones Jr. makes sense as a possible short-term replacement.
Chirco: Let's just say this ... it's time for Jameson Williams to step up now. Williams, the No. 12 overall selection in last year's draft, showcased glimpses of big-play potential a season ago, but in an extremely limited capacity. Even before the departure of Chark, more was going to be expected of the second-year receiver. 
But now, there is no doubt that Williams will need to produce on a much more consistent basis, in order to replace the production of Chark in 2023. I think the former Alabama wideout will be up to the task.

© Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK© Provided by All Lions on FanNation3.) What is your reaction to the Lions bringing back QB Nate Sudfeld?
Related video: Detroit Lions Are 2023 Free Agency Winners (All Lions on FanNation)
John, when you evaluate all the moves made thus far
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View on WatchBooher: It's not super surprising given his veteran presence. I think Sudfeld is an adequate backup behind Jared Goff. 
I also don't think the Lions are done. I expect them to draft a signal-caller in April, who will then compete with Sudfeld for the backup spot in training camp. Sudfeld's presence doesn't prevent them from taking a quarterback in the draft. 
Chirco: It was a bit puzzling and definitely disappointing to me. Even before the end of the 2022 season, there was plenty of talk about the Lions making a concerted effort to upgrade the backup QB spot this offseason. By bringing back Sudfeld for another year, Detroit has definitely failed to do that. 
Sudfeld provides little-to-no competition to Lions incumbent starter Jared Goff, and there's no proof that Sudfeld could step in for Goff, in the case of emergency, and provide stability for Detroit under center.
The only saving grace regarding this move is that Holmes & Co. could still choose to add a signal-caller via this April's NFL Draft. I fully expect the Lions to still do that.
4.) How will decisions the Lions made in free agency impact their draft needs?
Booher: I think the free-agency decisions push cornerback down the list of needs. Other than that, though, I don't think they impact the needs that much. The Lions struggled mightily on defense, and for that reason, I believe each of the positions on that unit remain in need of improvement. 
The same can be said about the offense. Detroit added a running back and a guard through free agency, but both positions may need reinforcements. After all, the guards could still need stability, and running back D'Andre Swift is entering the final year of his contract. 
Chirco: I don't know how much those moves really will impact their draft decisions. 
I say that because despite all the additions that Detroit has made to its defensive backs room, there is still a variety of mock drafts projecting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez to the Lions at No. 6 overall (and for good reason). As wild as that sounds, cornerback was such a weakness for Detroit in 2022 that it wouldn't hurt Holmes & Co. to add another high-impact corner (i.e. Gonzalez) to the room. 
It could go a long way toward flipping the script for the organization defensively and ensuring that the cornerback position is actually a strength for the team heading into the 2023 campaign. 
5.) If the Lions could draft K Jake Moody, QB Hendon Hooker or WR Jayden Reed, who would you want? 
Booher: I'm going to go with Reed. Of the three, he has the best chance to make an immediate impact. I like his game a lot, as he makes plenty of big plays despite being undersized.
Moody has a big leg, but the Lions have an incumbent in Michael Badgley. I would prefer the Lions take a later-round signal-caller in the draft rather than Hooker, as he is coming off an injury and played in a scheme that may not translate to the NFL. 
Chirco: I'm going to go with Hendon Hooker. Despite the presence of Nate Sudfeld, Detroit could still use a backup quarterback, and everybody in college football saw how good Hooker was before he suffered a season-ending ACL tear late in the 2022 season. He showcased signs of being a dynamite, dual-threat passer, and he ended up finishing his Tennessee career with 58 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.
Sure, Reed, with his big-play ability, would be a nice addition to Detroit's receivers room, especially after the departure of Chark. However, I'm still going with Hooker here, a quarterback that potentially could be groomed to be Goff's successor.

 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Unveils New Campaign Voiced by Drivers

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, March 1, 2023) – The NTT INDYCAR SERIES offers the most competitive and challenging racing in motorsports, and its new promotional campaign will bring all the action, drama and intrigue to new audiences as the season gets ready to launch this weekend.
The first INDYCAR campaign spot of the year – “ZERO” – focuses on the fierce race for victory at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding at St. Petersburg, Florida, where exactly ZERO mistakes can be made by the driver hoping to stand atop the podium Sunday, March 5.
“ZERO” is narrated by 2022 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race winner Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske.
SEE: ‘ZERO’ Campaign Spot
In the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, every track and every race is different – but the one thing they have in common is their combination of breakneck speed, harrowing turns, epic crashes and unbeatable competition. As the season progresses, INDYCAR will introduce a new spot, tailored to various stops on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar and narrated by a driver with a special tie to that event.
“We know our racing is the best on the planet, and we know there’s no greater challenge in motorsport than winning an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race,” said Penske Entertainment President & CEO Mark Miles. “From a very personal and engaging perspective, our drivers are going to tell everyone what makes our sport unique and what it takes to win at each specific venue.”
Spots will run from Wednesday to Sunday of Race Week and are part of a larger multichannel, national media plan.
INDYCAR partnered with creative agency Motive to develop the spots and with local Indianapolis agency EchoPoint Media as a paid media partner. The next spot will be unveiled ahead of the PPG 375 on Sunday, April 2 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch wins final NASCAR Cup race on two-mile oval at Auto Club Speedway

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BY  Steve Hensen
As farewells go, it was chilly. And weepy.
The Fontana air had a pronounced bite Sunday for the last NASCAR race on the venerable two-mile Auto Club Speedway oval, less than 24 hours after snow improbably blanketed much of the Inland Empire.
The track wept, and that isn’t an attempt at personification. Trapped rainwater from the last few days seeped from under cracks and seams in the porous, 26-year-old asphalt, forming what drivers call “weepers” — slick, wet spots that can cause a driver to lose control, especially when tire treads become worn.
But the track was drivable, and competitors can read it and weep: Kyle Busch ended a mini slump, winning going away.

Who could be surprised that Busch took the last Auto Club 400 even though he is coming off a down season in which he won only one Cup Series race? It was his fifth Auto Club victory, including his first Cup Series win in 2005 and his 200th overall win in 2019.
It also was his first win in just his third race with Richard Childress Racing after 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing.


“That all makes it memorable,” Busch said. “I love California and this speedway has always been great to me. The fans here have been great.”
The win enabled him to reach other milestones. It marked the 19th season in a row that he has won a Cup Series race, one year longer than that of previous record-holder Richard Petty. It also was the 95th Cup Series victory for brothers Kyle and Kurt Busch, breaking the record held by Bobby and Donnie Allison.
Kurt Busch greeted Kyle with a hug in victory lane.

Kyle Busch performs a burnout near the start/finish line after winning at Fontana on Sunday.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)


Kyle Busch celebrates with the checkered flag on the track after winning Sunday.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)“It’s neat to have him be there,” Kyle said. “He was emotional, he’s getting soft in his old age. It’s fun to set records always, and when you’re able to do it as a brother tandem, there’s nothing more special for our parents, I’m sure.”
Chase Elliott finished second with a strong final 30 laps and was followed by Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick.


“The track conditions were fine,” Harvick said. “I didn’t really see weepers and it was just really dirty every run. The second half of the race it cleaned up, but it was hard on the windshields. In the end, they did a great job preparing the track and we were able to put on a good race.”
Crews got to work Sunday at 5:30 a.m. to stem the tears, employing enormous track-drying apparatuses — Air Tundras, Buffalo Turbine Blowers, Jet Dryers and a sweeper truck. They also used hand saws and drills to create troughs in the track where water could drain from outside banks to the apron.
The Cup Series race started on time at 12:30 p.m. in front of a sellout crowd of about 50,000, and the drivers lined up five wide during pace laps before the drop of the green flag, an impressive sight meant to salute the fans that supported the two-mile track since it opened in 1997.
The track was reasonably dry and occasional weepers weren’t the only problem. By Lap 40, the front of cars looked like they’d been sandblasted, and pit crews had to be mindful not to slip on debris that shook out of grills during stops.
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Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott return to site of teammate tension at Auto Club

In the late laps of last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott found themselves jockeying for the lead and potential victory.
It ended with Larson putting Elliott in the wall as the duo ran three-wide with Joey Logano down the frontstretch with 21 laps remaining. Larson darted high, unaware Elliott had a full head of steam heading to the outside lane. Elliott was walled, and his race ruined. Larson went on to win the race.
RELATED: Reliving the late contact | 2023 Auto Club schedule
The collision triggered a meeting of the minds of all four Hendrick drivers and team owner Rick Hendrick himself.
The Cup Series returns to Fontana, California on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), one year since the incident, which left Elliott stewing in the immediate aftermath. Larson says their relationship is in decent shape these days — despite being frayed again in an August battle at Watkins Glen International.
“I think Fontana was easier to get over for him because it was the first time something happened,” Larson said at Daytona 500 Media Day. “I think Watkins Glen was tougher to get over because it happened a second time. But I think since then — I mean, it took weeks, I would say, to get moved on from it. But I feel like we’re in a good, an OK spot right now.
“You know, we both did an appearance together, you know, a few weeks ago in California, and we were playing on a golf simulator together. So I feel like like everything’s OK.”
At Watkins Glen, six months after their Fontana kerfuffle, Larson lined up to Elliott’s right on the front row with five laps to go. Heading into the 90-degree, right-hand first turn, Larson ran Elliott wide to escape with the lead and eventual win. Elliott stumbled to fourth at the checkered flag.

“Fontana was a mistake. Watkins Glen was not a mistake,” Larson said at Daytona. “You know, we were battling for the win. But you don’t want to make those moves, and it was a rough few weeks for me in my seat. So I don’t want to be a part of that ever again. So yeah, I think, I think we’re OK. And our teams continue to work well together, which I think was the most important piece of it.”
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News and Notes: Super Bowl Style
  • First, it was tough watching the San Francisco- Philadelphia game. The 49ers were in trouble even before Brock Purdy was injured. It is commendable that any team can make it to the NFC Championship game with a third string quarterback let alone a fourth after the Purdy Injury. 
  • What was even tougher was watching Purdy come back with a complete UCL tear. The 49ers could not pass the football and an Eagles defense bent on stopping the Eagles was already strong and just teed off on the Eagles running game knowing SF could not pass. 
  • What is tough is the 49ers went from most likely dealing Trey Lance and banking on Purdy is now a crapshoot. Every time coach Kyle Shanahan and the organization want to move on from Jimmy Garappolo, injuries to his replacements keep him in the mix. The news is most NFL teams do not consider Trey Lance a good investment and at best, would give the team a mid-round pick. An NFL team keeping two young QB's is not sustainable.
  • Watching the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes outlast the Cincinatti Bengals and without a bankable wide receiver after in game injuries showed that they are a good representative for the AFC in the upcoming Super Bowl. The Chiefs need to get some receivers back and get Mahomes some rest for his badly sprained ankle. Wonder if Tyreek Hill is smiling in Miami right now at the Chiefs misfortune or wonder what his life would be like if he was on this Super Bowl team? 

The Detroit Lions should try to trade for Rams CB Jalen Ramsey

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Story by Mike Payton • 
The Detroit Lions have me thinking about the MCU right now (Marvel Cinematic Universe, for the uninitiated). You know, the one with the superheroes who are trying to save the world from the powerful Thanos. In the past, I’ve called Matt Patricia Thanos simply because it felt like he came here and snapped his fingers and half the Lions we loved were gone and Detroit was left in shambles. I still believe that’s true, but for the sake of this story, let’s talk about another Thanos—a variant of the multiverse, if you will.
In this universe, Thanos isn’t really a person. He’s more of a celestial thing that hovers over the Detroit Lions franchise like a dark cloud. For years Thanos has been inevitable for the Lions. He’s caused this team to lose in new and embarrassing ways, and he’s the reason this team has missed out on the playoffs and any glory that comes along with it.
In the last two years, the Lions have formed something of an Avengers team that’s been able to get in shots on Thanos like they never have before. They’re so close to riding themselves off that dark cloud. They’re at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War” and all they have to do to get this guy to go away is go for the head.
The Lions are in a spot right now where their defense is coming along but still needs some important pieces to take it to the next level and beyond. They’ve already attacked the defensive line through the first two years, and they have young, promising players at linebacker. That’s two spots where they’re strong. As for the secondary, there’s one go-for-the-head type of move they can make to have them in the position where they’re holding the gauntlet and snapping their fingers. That’s making another trade with the Rams, this time for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
I know there’s a bit of hesitancy from Lions fans about this move. I’ve been seeing the reactions to the idea on Twitter this week. The fear is that the Lions would likely have to part with a high draft pick to get it done. If that’s the case, I say make it happen.
The Lions have some things that the Rams don’t. They have a first-round draft pick. That’s something the Rams haven’t had since they selected current Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Rams have sacrificed all those picks in order to build a championship team. They did that. Now they’re a team that’s more than likely headed towards a rebuild for multiple reasons that we don’t have to get into today. Matthew Stafford’s health is probably one of them though.
Related video: Former NFL Defensive End Jessie Lemonier Has Passed Away At 25 (Sports Illustrated)
The Lions hold the sixth overall pick, a pick that used to belong to the Rams. The Lions should keep that pick and offer the 18th pick to the Rams for Jalen Ramsey straight up.
Everyone gets what they want out of this deal. The Rams finally get a high-value draft pick to start rebuilding a young core of their team. They also get to free up some cap space. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, they’d still have to eat $19.6 million of his $25.2 million cap hit this year, but because they’re $14 million over the cap right now, every little bit helps.
Back on January 13, Ramsey posted a cryptic tweet that suggested his time in Los Angeles is done. So it’s possible the Rams were getting ready to move on from him anyways.
NFL insiders also believe he may be on the move. In a story by ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, at least one NFL employee thinks the Rams would entertain a trade for Ramsey.
“[Ramsey] is one I think the Rams will at least explore [moving],” one AFC personnel director said. “He’s still a top guy, but the play has fallen off a little bit and [he] could use a change of scenery.”
The Lions get to shore up their cornerback situation damn near immediately. Sure there will still be work to do, but the Lions inherit the corner that finished with the third-highest PFF grade for corners in the NFL this season. They can pair him up with Jeff Okudah and company and still use one of their top 100 picks on another corner. Perhaps Stanford’s Kyu Blu Kelly would fit the bill. Lions defensive assistant Shaun Dion Hamilton will be working with Kelly and more corners at the Senior Bowl in a couple weeks, giving the Lions an advantage when scouting this year’s class.
As for Ramsey, he gets to go from a team that had a great culture to a team that arguably has the best culture in the league. He’ll reunite with Brad Holmes and Ray Agnew. The latter, of course, played a big role in bringing Ramsey to LA when he was the Rams director of pro personnel. On the coaching side, if Aaron Glenn remains with the Lions, Ramsey gets to work with a defensive coordinator that specializes in the defensive backs, being a former defensive back himself as well as a former defensive backs coach. He also reunites with Todd Wash, who may be coaching the defensive line now, but was the Jaguars defensive coordinator during Ramsey’s 3.5 seasons in Jacksonville.
The Lions are Thor right now. They have Thanos right where they want him. Trading for Ramsey means going for the head and ending him right now. Go this route, get Thanos off your back, and get yourself into the playoffs with possibly an NFC North title.

Lions Week 18 NFL win satisfying fans and other NFL Opinions

  • The Detroit Lions week 18 win over the Green Bay Packers is probably the most satisfying win for the team to end the season since.... maybe the 1991 season when the team hosted the Dallas Cowboys and beat them at home. 
  • The Lions had a 30-game losing streak at Lambeau field that ended in 2014. Since then, they are 4-2 against the Packers. Sweeping them is rarely done and to beat the Pack when all they had to do is beat the formerly lowly Lions. What was most impressive for the team is they were eliminated when the Seattle Seahawks beat the LA Rams earlier in the day and had no trouble getting up for Aaron Rodgers. 
  • The Lions were basically going to pick between 5-7 no matter whether the Rams won or lost against Seattle. They are out of the running for the two top QB prospects Bryce Young of Alabama and PJ Stroud of Ohio State State and Jalen Carter, the DT from Georgia and Willie Anderson from Alabama. They will pick 6th and 18th and the team needs defense. Between now and the end of April, draft junkees like myself will absorb around 1,000 mock drafts. 
  • The Houston Texans fired Lovee Smith on Sunday. They are two for two firing one and done coaches and they have been both African Americans (David Culley) was fired last year. Word is coaches are firing off resumes to the team regardless of coaching for a GM who has hired and fired 5 coaches since 2020without losing his own job. 
  • NFL H-O-F Coach Tony Dungy weighed in the matter. "What are the Texans doing. What kind of operation is this where you don’t have any convictions about supporting the coaches you hire. Who is going to want to coach there if you might only get one year to implement your plans. Two years in a row is ridiculous," 
  • Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has spoken to Carolina on their head coaching position, and it is reported he will interview for the Denver head coaching position. Harbaugh wants both money and control. If he gets both, he is gone. 
     When the Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears to even their record at 8-8, head coach Dan Campbell was correct in saying his team played well but have played more complete games as a team in 2022. The Minnesota and Jacksonville games were their best and the NY Jets and Giants games showed the teams resilience. 
  • Usually the team has complicated playoff scenarios when they are in the playoffs hunt at all. This year, the playoff scenarios for the NFC are straight forward. 
  • If the Packers win, they will be the 7th seed. 
  • If the Lions beat the Packers and the Seahawks lose, the Lions are in. 
  • After the win over the bears, the Lions would pick 5th if the season ended after week 17 courtesy of the Rams pick. Their own pick would see them pick 17th. 
  • The complicated thing is the Rams and the Seahawks play each other in week 18. If the Rams win, the pick will go down. If the Seahawks win, the Lions are out of the playoffs regardless of beating the Packers courtesy of the Lions 48-45 loss. 
the crazy stats relating to two Lions rookies are: Pass-rushers Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston have been phenomenal on their run. Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is living up to pre-draft expectations for Detroit. Houston, meanwhile, was a sixth-round pick who missed much of the season due to injury. But lately, the tenacious Houston has really gotten after it on the field. And it’s showing on the stat sheet.
Per NFL345, “Lions rookies Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston are the 1st pair of rookie teammates each with 7+ sacks since 1982. Hutchinson is the 1st rookie with 7+ sacks & 3+ INTs in a season since 1982. Houston is the 3rd player with 7 sacks in his 1st 6 career games since 1982.”
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​My bottom line is the Lions have won three of their last five at Lambeau Field after a long losing streak. It looks like Aaron Rodgers is back on form even though he has lost most of his passing targets. My best guess is this will be a very high scoring game. The Lions are more motivated than the Pack. It will come down to lady luck and it looks like the Lions finally have more talent than Green Bay. If the Lions can keep Rodgers from being one score away in the final drive, they win. If Rodgers can win it, even if behind, the Lions lose. 

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A few weeks ago, overhearing talk on excited fans believing the Lions would make the playoffs, nobody was prepared for me to say that it might be best if the team did not make the postseason. 
   The comment was blasphemous to Lions fans who want the team to make the Super Bowl tournament for the first time since 2016.
 
Personally, the fan in me would yes, I would love to see the team make the playoffs and I said so but it was unlikely the team would run the table in the waning weeks on the road in 2022.
     The long-term thinking on this team believes the team, that was only 5-7 with a one in ten chance of making the playoffs at the time needs to stay hungry in 2022 with a chip on their shoulder going into the 2023 season. 

     My reasoning is that Dan Campbell would have the team's full attention in the 2022 offseason.
It would make the team a hot commodity in the 2023 free agent offseason and a destination for players that want both the money and to play for a team on the rise. 

A second reason for my delay is the Lions need draft capitol. Who would have thought before this 2022 season that the Rams pick would be more valuable than the Lions own? Before the 6-1 run, the Lions were 1-6 and were slated to draft first or second half-way through the season. The reality is with two first round picks including the Rams pick likely coming in the top five plus a top second rounder and picks from the TJ Hockenson trade, the team is poised to plug some holes and get some playmakers on mostly, the pourous defensive side of the ball. The bottom line is some of the Lions best players are coming into the league and the Carolina Panthers loss might not have been a bad thing. 
Finally, the Jared Goff situation. Goff has had a very solid year. A year where his absence from making the pro bowl was noted. He is a solid but unspectacular quarterback. He is worth a first-round pick to the right team. If management decides to flip him and ride it out with a top draft pick on a rookie deal, its worth watching. 
The real clock on the Lions begins during the 2023 season. This season's teams rise is unexpected and for me, they have been playing with house money. 
It would be great if they made the playoffs, but next year is where all of the young players need to be all in and take the franchise in a winning direction. 
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Reports: College Football Playoff board approves expanded format with 12 teams

The College Football Playoff will move to 12 teams after the Board of Managers approved expansion by an unanimous vote on Friday, according to multiple reports.
The expanded format will reportedly include the six highest ranked conference champions and the rest of the field will be made up of at-large selections, after the vote by the board, which consists of presidents from each of the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame.
The expansion could happen as early as the end of the 2024 season, but the 12-year contract the playoffs have with ESPN doesn't expire until after the 2025 season.
From NFL plays to college sports scores, all the top sports news you need to know every day.
The current four-team format started in 2014 after decades of discontent between coaches and fans about how the national champion is decided in football. Initially determined by media and coaches poll, the Bowl Championship Series was created in 1998 to match the top two teams in one game after the regular season. That system lasted through the 2013 season before the current College Football Playoff system was used. 

The College Football Playoff logo is shown on the field at AT&T Stadium before an NCAA college football game.© Roger Steinman, APAlabama has won the most CFP championships with three, followed by Clemson with two. Ohio State, LSU and defending champion Georgia have one title each. 
By Brandon Day- Courtesy of SB Nation-Well the time has finally come. After seven years, Executive Vice-President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, Al Avila, has been fired by the Detroit Tigers. We had an inkling this was coming, but it’s still surprising to see that Team President Chris Ilitch has decided to make the move. The Tigers announced the move themselves on Wednesday afternoon.

© Mandi Wright/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORKThe Detroit Tigers fire general manager Al AvilaAvila was promoted to the role in August of 2015, after the firing of long-time GM Dave Dombrowski by previous owner Mike Ilitch. Starting with his first full season in 2016, the Tigers have a record of 404-573 under Avila heading into Wednesday night’s matchup against Cleveland.
Avila’s hiring was supposed to initiate a new era in Tigers baseball. The idea was to construct a modern organization largely from scratch after the final years of big payrolls left the Tigers’ minor league system in terrible shape both in terms of players, personnel, and facilities. At the same time, Avila was to oversee the 2016 re-tooling in a final attempt to turn out another winner for Mike Ilitch. On every front things went very poorly.
A tacit admission of the fact came last summer, when Avila fired his long-time head of player development head, Dave Littlefield, beginning a major overhaul in coaches and decision-makers in the player development system. At the time, those major changes to the front office engaged speculation that Avila had bought himself a few more years to turn things around after pretty poor progress to that point. Unfortunately for Avila, his attempts to build a team with the potential to at least begin competing for a playoff spot fell badly flat this year, and the prospect capital built up through years of losing hasn’t produced the stockpile of high end young talent that was hoped as of yet.
Meanwhile, the fanbase finally reached the limits of its patience this season. Anger and frustration has been the theme of the 2022 season, and we can only hope now that brighter days are ahead.
There is no word on Avila’s replacement. A press conferrence is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. EDT with Ilitch to discuss the firing and the plan to move forward in finding the next general manager of the Detroit Tigers.


Lions HC Dan Campbell explains why he calls WR Josh Reynolds 'The Praying Mantis'

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The Detroit Lions head coach Campbell went viral at training camp over the weekend when he revealed the funny nickname that he has for wide receiver Josh Reynolds — ‘The Praying Mantis.’
“He’s slippery, man,” said Campbell of Reynolds, per Lions writer Dave Birkett. “I call him ‘The Praying Mantis.’ He’s the spider of death. There’s something about him. Fricking serpent.”
Reynolds, who caught 19 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in seven games for Detroit after being acquired in the middle of last season, definitely possesses some mantis-like qualities. He is flexible, sneaks past defenders seemingly undetected and is surprisingly deadly for his size.
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